Method of treating timber with a preservative fluid.



J.G.PATY. METHOD OF TREATING TIMBER WITH A PRESERVATIVE FLUID.

APPLICATION FILED OUT 1 Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

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METHOD OI TREATING TIMBER WITH A PRESERVATIVE FLUID.

'\ APPLICATION FILED 0OT.28,1909. 9 751 Patented Manl l, 1911.

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I. G. PATY. METHOD OF TREATING TIMBER WITH -A PRESERVATIVE FLUID.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 28, 1909.

986,751 Y Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

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JOHN G. IPATY, OF-SHREVEPGBT, LOUISIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14., int i.

Application filed October 28, 1909. Serial No. 525,127.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. PA'rY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shreveport, in the parish of Caddo and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Method of Treating Timber with a Preservative Fluid, ofwhich the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to a method of saturating timber with a preservative fluid, such as, for instance, creosote, for pose of preventing decay, the invention be ing designed more particu- .rly for the treat ment of shingles.

It is the object of the invention to so prepare or treat the shingle prior to its being immersed in the preservative fluid, that a rapid and thorough penetration is eiiected.

lhe apparatus by means of which the method is'practiced is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a.

- portion oi the apparatus and, Fig. 2 is a snnilar view of the remainder thereof, the two views being placed on separate sheets by reason of the lack of room on one sheet to properly show the entire apparatus thereon. Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views of the parts shown in the preceding views, partly broken away. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fig.

2. Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a transverse section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown diagrammatically at 10 a shingle mill, from the upper floor of which extends, at a suitable inclination, a

chute 11, leading to a. runway in which the shingles to be treated are conveyed to the various parts of the apparatus. The chute is divided by partitions 12 into a of passages 13 of different depths, to receive shingles of diflerent dimensions and grades. In the present instance, six passages are shown to receive two different grades of shingles in three different dimensions. However, the invention is not limited to this air-- rangement, and it may be varied to meet the demands of the trade.

The runway comprises an elongated ens: ing having two depressed portions, forming vats 14 and 15, between which vats is an elevated portion forming a drying chamber 16.

the purplurality The vat 14 contains a heating medium, such as boiling water, and the vat 15 contains a supply of creosote or some other preservative mixture. are also to be stained, asuitable coloring matter will be added to the mixture. Beyond the vat 15, the runway is again elevated, as indicated at 17, and is constructed to distribute the finished shingle. of receiving bins 18 are located under this end of the runway.

' The shingles are carried through the vats 14 and 15 and the distributing terminal by an endless conveyor comprising a chain 19,

carrying cross arms 20 at regular intervals, said arms projecting from opposite sides of the chain. The chain travels over sprocket wheels21 and 22 located at the respective ends of the runway, any suitable source ofpower. The chain is also provided with guide sprockets or pulleys.

The vat 14; is located at the entrance of the runwav and it com rises a bottom 23 side walls 2 1, and a removable top 25, the latter being hinged or otherwise connccted to one of the side walls so that it may be swung open to obtain access to the vat. The

end by the passages vat is entered at one 13, and at its opposite end is located the drying chamber 16. The vat 14: contains a false bottom 26 which is spaced a short distance from the bottom 23, and between said bottoms'are laid steam tending in the direction of the vat from a header 28 mounted transversely in a depression 29 at the inlet end of the vat. The false bottom 26 is slightly spaced length of the from the side walls 24, and itis also pcrforated as indicated at 30, and on said bottoms are also mounted upstanding partitions 31 extending in the direction of the-length of the vat. The top 25 carries partitions 32 which are in alinement with partitions 31,

and separated or spaced therefrom by the thickness of the cross arms 20 of the conve'yer. These partitions'divide the vat into a, series of passages corresponding in number .to the number municating therewith at the entrance of the vat. A central passage for the chain is'also provided. The cross arms 20 slide along the top edges of the partitions 31. The spaces between the partitions 32 filled in by strips 33, so asto reduce the height thereof to correspond to the differ- If the shingles 60 A series cs and it is driven from 75 pipes 27 ex- 90 of passages 13, and comare partly 11 O of the passages is varied by the strips 33 to fail to follow the sages by the conveyer cross arms,

ent Widths of shingles. It may be here stated that theshingles are dragged through the passages standing up on one of their edges, and spaced from each other the distance between the cross arms 20. The pasare to be entirely filled with water so that the shingles will be completely submerged as they are dragged therethrough and as the shingles are of diflerent widths, the height correspond to the diflerent Widths of the shingles. The width of the passages 1s umform, and their height is slightly greater than the Width of the shingles, so that it will be impossible for the latter to turn over or assages.

By spacing the false bottom 26 at its longitudinal edges from the side walls 24 of the vat, and providing said bottom with perforations, the Water is permitted to-flow freely around the steam pipes 27, to be.

heated thereby.

The structure of the'drying chamber 16, and the rat 15, is the same as that of the vat 14;, the passages in which the shingles travel, being con 'inned therethrough by con-' tinuing the partitions 31 and'32. The steam higher plane.

ipes 27 are shown as extending to the end of the drying chamber, but if desired may be continued into the vat 15. y

.The floor 34 of the distributing terminal of the runway contains a series of graduated openings 35, through which the finished shingles drop into the respective bins 18, a bin being provided for each kind of shingles. The floor 34 is a continuation of the false bottom 26, and the partitions 31 are continued along said floor, thus forming a continuation of the passages through which the shingles travel. The openings 35 are located between the partition, each shingle passage having an opening, and said openings are so located that the shingles drop 45- into the proper bins. In their passage along the floor 34, the conveyer cross arms 20 are dragged along the top, edges of the partitions; w

- The vats 14- and 15 are on the same level, but the drying chamber is located in a This arrangement elevates the outer ends of the steam pipes 27, and

thus insures the return of condensed steam to the header 28. The latter has an inlet v 36 for live steam and an outlet for condensed steam, the latter leading to the vat 14, whereby the same is supplied with water. 38 is indicated a tank containing a supply of creosote or other preservative -fluid. This tank is located near the vat 15,

and its bottom is on a level therewith, so that the vat may be'.kept..supplied by a float -valve.

Inoperation, the shingles to be treated are placed edgewise. in the proper passages veyer. The conveyer carries the shingles in this position through the vat 14, then through the dryingchamber 16, next through the vat l5, and finally to the floor 34 from which they. drop into the bins 18. As already stated the vat 14 contains boiling water in which the shingles are heated rapidly to a very high degree. The heat expands the air in the cellular and intercollular spaces in the wood, and expcls or drives out the sap. The shingles next pass into the drying chamber which is kept heated to a high degree by the steam pipes 27. By this heat, the air in .the cells of the woodis further heated, and expanded, and all the sap is driven to the surface, and vaporized. This drying process continues for a few minutes, when the shingle has lost most of its sap and water, and when at its maximum heat, it is plunged or submerged in the cool preservative fluid contained in the vat 15, which'causes the air in the cellular and intercellular spaces of the wood to quickly contract, thereby forming a vacuum into which the preservative fluid is forced by the atmospheric pressure. shingles are next taken up by the conveyer and carried to the floor 3a, and deposited in the receiving bins 18 according to grades and sizes.

A shingle treated as herein described needs only a short period of exposure to obtain a complete and thorough penetration, whereas cold shinglessubmerged in boiling preservative fluids receive only a surface penetration, although they are exposed for a much longer period. Carrying the shingles singly on their edges,-equally exposes every part of their surface to the heating and drying processes, and prevents warping, as well as sticking together, which would prevent the entry of the preservative fluid, as is frequently the case when the shingles are-carried flat.

The time of the length of the several compartments, and by the speed of the conveyor. The apparatus may have many or few passages, ac-

cording to the number of grades and dimen- The passage of the shingles through the apparatus can be regulated by changes and modifications in the structural finally immersing the dried and heated timdetails thereof may be resorted to, Without her in a cool oily preservative fluid under a departure from the invention, and no liinisubstantially atmospheric pressure.

tations are implied except as indicated in In testin'lony that I claim the foregoing 5 the appended claim. as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signa- 15 What is claimed is: ture in the presence of two Witnesses. The method. of treating timber with a' JOHN GJPATY preservative fluid, consisting of submitting \Vitnesses: the timber to the action of boiling Water, S. L. HEROLD,

10 then drying the timber with heat, and, J. C. PUGI-I. 

